Nathalie Bougenies
Nathalie chairs the hemp CBD practice group and focuses her practice on health and wellness, in addition to corporate transactions and regulatory compliance. For the past three years, Nathalie has helped clients navigate the complex regulatory landscape of hemp products intended for human consumption and advises domestic and international clients on the sale, distribution, marketing, labeling, and importation of these products. Nathalie frequently speaks on these issues and has made national media appearances, including on NPR’s “Marketplace.” She also authors a weekly column for “Above the Law” that features content on cannabis policy and regulation and is a regular contributor to her firm’s “Canna Law Blog.” For three consecutive years, Nathalie has been named Rising Star by Super Lawyers.
Tom Lorimer
Rachel K. Gillette
A leading cannabis-focused lawyer, Rachel helps clients nationwide proactively plan and implement strategies to capitalize on strategic business opportunities.
At the vanguard of the retail marijuana industry, Rachel leverages more than a decade of experience guiding clients to establish, expand, and protect profitable businesses in a rapidly-evolving legal, regulatory, and financial environment.
From years of interacting with regulators and taxing authorities Rachel knows how state and local provisions will be applied in practice and what clients can anticipate at every step of the licensing process and beyond. She vigorously protects clients’ interests in tax audits and deficiency assessments at the state and local level, as well as IRC §280E adjustments.
Clients value Rachel’s ability to distill complex, often overwhelming information, into a prioritized plan of action. As a strategic advisor, she helps clients prepare and get positioned to seize opportunities, like starting operations in newly legalized states, scale businesses into multiple jurisdictions, or launch new brands and products.
Rachel’s clients range from individual entrepreneurs and investors, to start- ups to publicly traded companies with operations in one or multiple states in cannabis and cannabis-adjacent businesses. Domestic and international entities exploring cannabis business opportunities turn to Rachel for pragmatic, industry-savvy counsel as they evaluate potential options. Rachel also serves as an expert witness on legal and regulatory issues involving hemp, marijuana, CBD, and other cannabinoids.
Before she joined Holland & Hart, Rachel was a partner at Greenspoon Marder, serving as Chair of the firm’s Cannabis Law practice and as a member of the Management Committee.
Tom Zuber
Tom Zuber is a founder and the Managing Partner of Zuber Lawler. Tom is the relationship partner for some 10 Fortune 500 Company clients of the firm, as well as funds and government entities. He has also represented leading cannabis companies for 15 years. Zuber Lawler as a firm manages the highest-stakes matters of a large percentage of the biggest brands in global cannabis. Tom is also a founder of the international cannabis consulting company Global Go. He earned a J.D. degree Columbia Law School, a master s in public policy degree from Harvard University, and a biomedical engineering degree from Rutgers University, where he graduated with highest honors.
Bethany Gomez
Bethany's core responsibility is to manage Brightfield Group's growing team and drive new product development. She is a key driver of business development, managing some of Brightfield's top clients to ensure long-term success. Her passion for the CBD and cannabis industries helps drive Brightfield's team forward and deliver comprehensive and data-driven answers for each of their customers. She has an extensive background in quantitative research, global policy, and strategic planning. Prior to starting Brightfield Group, Bethany managed market research of key CPG industries in Latin America with Euromonitor International.
Dr. Claude Kaplan
Dr Claude Kaplan has over 20 years’ experience on the identification, evaluation and exploitation of novel agritech innovations and intellectual property. Previous roles have included; director of an IP commercialisation consultancy, animal & aquaculture health investment specialist for government and head of IP commercialisation for an international aquaculture company. Claude is currently the Director of Commercial Relations, Hatch Innovation Services (HIS). HIS, part of HATCH group - a global catalyst for aquaculture innovation, provides support and assistance to companies, governments and researchers in the sourcing, management and commercialisation of aquaculture technologies.
Nathan Pyne-Carter
Nathan Pyne-Carter received a BA Hons from Clare College, Cambridge University. He took over running of the family business in 2012 where he quickly grew the business through two investment rounds (AquaSpark and 4J Studios), with central office at the Water’s Edge in Dundee, and regional offices in Chile, Norway, Canada and Australia. Current headcount in the company stands at twenty-six with rapid expansion planned for 2021. He has been an invited speaker keynote speaker at industry events such as Oceanology, HavExpo and Seafood Expo North America, as well as winner of the Tayside and Fife IOD, Regional Director of the Year Award in 2020, National Director of the Year for Innovation winner in 2019, and Courier Business award winning Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019. He spearheads a creative look at problems in aquaculture and award-winning innovations span unique in-water electric stunning systems for fish, environmentally responsible acoustic deterrents, 3D biomass camera systems, and lice removal technology for fish.